The UK’S defence secretary has been urged to disregard army commanders’ preferences on bases when a decision is made on the future of RAF Leuchars.
As the station waits to hear whether the RAF will be withdrawn from Fife as cuts are made to defence spending, there is speculation it could become a base for soldiers returning from Germany.
However, north-east Fife MP and former Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell, has pressed Dr Liam Fox to ensure the prospect of such use does not influence the decision on Leuchars.
He told Dr Fox that strategic considerations must be pre-eminent in considering the future of UK RAF bases.
He said, “The preferences of army commanders should not take precedence over the primary strategic responsibility of the government to guard and protect its citizens.
“It is being suggested that the army’s preference to be located at Leuchars, rather than elsewhere in Scotland, should be a determining factor in whether RAF Leuchars closes or not. I profoundly disagree.
“The location of air defence assets for the northern half of Britain is vital to their effectiveness, as Leuchars has shown since the beginning of the Cold War and continues to show.
“It was not selected for that task by chance, but by virtue of its geographical location.”Right placeIn a letter to the minister he also said, “Leuchars is in the right place at the right time doing the right job. The strategic imperative of the effective air defence of the northern half of the UK should not be subordinated to questions of convenience of access for the army.”
Plans to shift brigades from Germany into RAF bases have already been made public.
MPs have reportedly been told in a private briefing that the army prefers Leuchars to Lossiemouth or Kinloss, both in Morayshire, for returning squaddies.
Among the reasons, it is claimed, is the base’s proximity to St Andrews and better infrastructure and transport links.
Sir Menzies’ plea was made ahead of a ministerial meeting due to take place next week at which Leuchars and RAF Lossiemouth will be discussed.
Dr Fox and Scottish secretary Michael Moore will be considering the latest state of the ongoing strategic defence review.
An announcement on which RAF bases face the axe is not expected until the summer.